2007 VW GTI - Bells & Whistles

An OEM+ style widebody VW GTI with plenty of Euro updates.

The madness started three years ago after purchasing an RNS-510 navigation unit. All this ’07 Mk5 GTI really needed was a small update but soon after, Josh Segelson from OEMplus, found himself pulling out the windshield for yet another upgrade.

Josh is no stranger to the German part bins, being the VP of Operations at OEMplus allowed Josh to research all the necessary OEM features that could be improved.

The new Mk5 R32 glass, for example, was designed to mount a rearview mirror that senses rain for auto wipers and dims bright headlights at night. And while this amenity would make a night drive more relaxing, Josh took it further by adding a comfortable theater setting inside the Mk5.

After enabling RNS-510 navigation to play DVDs in motion, he upgraded the sound system to a VW Eos DynAudio system to handle the dynamic cinema sound. He then swapped out the A/C system with a Passat CC Climatronic digital display for an extra twist.

It was around this time that the wild idea to retrofit heated, powered, memory seats from the European Mk2 Audi TT sprang to mind. After some research, the marriage of Audi seats to the GTI seemed feasible. Josh was thrilled after connecting the VAGcom to discover the system recognized the seats as if they were from the factory.

Pairing with the memory functions, Euro folding mirrors were added. And to match the TT seats, the rears were wrapped in leather and alcantra.

Josh focused on the driver’s side, fitting a Mk6 steering wheel because the red stitching matched the Edition 30 shift knob and handbrake lever. An R32 gauge cluster was chosen for its blue dials. But to get the gauges and wheel to work in the Mk5, the cruise control had to be swapped and the buttons rewired to deliver the OE functions. But that was the part of the retrofit Josh enjoyed…

Widebody
Then came the thunder: our friends at FMS Automotive took a VW Accessories “Thunder Bunny” body kit and widened it. They did this by cutting out the center of the front bumper and inserting the additional width. They then pulled the front fenders to match the wider bumper. The girth continues along the side with skirts that flow to the Thunder Bunny rear bumper. Fiberglass extensions were then added to continue the lines of the pulled rear fenders over the rear bumper.

Josh spoke with Rotiform to design a 19x9" wheels to be stuffed under the fenders of this widebody Mk5. The 15-spoke wheels bolted to a Brembo big-brake kit up front with 365mm floating rotors and giant six-piston Brembo calipers painted black.

With the front brakes done, an R32 upgrade including 310mm rotors with black powdercoated calipers was added to the rear.

Josh was hesitant to drop the Mk5 on springs. He was concerned that rubbing issues on the 255/35 R19 Michelin tires might hinder its daily driving duties. So the OEMplus team installed a set of Bilstien PSS10 coilovers and dialed in the dampers for the appropriate look and function.

The Mk5 had hints of its German cousin, the Golf24. However, the 2.0T needed more power for the occasional canyon run. Seeking about 300hp, Josh contacted Integrated Engineering, who replaced the rods for greater strength but retained the stock pistons because they are more than sufficient.

The head was prepared with Shrick cams plus a port ’n polish to reduce lag and increase bottom-end power.

Once the engine was back together, OEMplus installed an Audi S3 K04 turbo and intercooler. Pairing it with a Neuspeed Air Charge Pipe and Turbo Discharge Pipe, they removed unnecessary restrictions.

During the dyno tuning process, the engine experienced a drop in power before redline. Suggesting the ECU was running lean before peak power, Revo Technik software technicians were able to design a custom tune that delivered the targeted power output.

With everything dialed-in, this Mk5 GTI is a great example of the OEM+ look. However, OEMplus are still digging through the part catalog for new inspiration, including a curiosity to discover whether the massaging seats from a VW Phaeton could be next!